Home

What to know about California's new proposed rules for property insurance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Months after California's home insurance market was rattled by major companies pausing or restricting their coverage, the state's top regulator said Thursday that he would write new rules aimed at persuading insurers to continue doing business in the nation's most populous state.Seven of the 12 largest insurance companies by market share in California have either paused or restricted new policies in the state since last year.Some state lawmakers tried to come up with a bill that would address the issue. But they failed to reach an agreement before the Legislature adjourned for the year last week.Here's a look at what California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara proposed and how it would affect the state's insurance market:WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES?Unlike most states, California heavily regulates its property insurance market.In 1988, California voters approved Proposition 103. It said insurance companies had to get permission from the state Department of Insurance...

New UCLA dorm delayed over size concerns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Proposed low-cost housing at UCLA is being delayed after University of California Regents put the breaks on dorms over concerns that the rooms may be too small, the Los Angeles Times reported.The new dorm was expected to be available to students by 2026, but officials deferred a vote on the budget and design, citing concerns over impact on student mental health, the newspaper reported. As a result, the regents asked for additional research and student feedback on the proposed dorms.Gayley Towers, seen here on Sept. 22, 2023, is the proposed site for new low-cost housing for UCLA students. (KTLA) The project included renovating the existing Gayley Towers at 565 Gayley Ave. in Westwood and was to include co-living-style units with shared kitchens and community bathrooms.The proposal for a room is 265 square feet for three beds, desks, closets, storage space and a refrigerator, the Times reported. During a meeting this week, regents determined there are still many questions remaining a...

Gregorio Arreaga Dead after Vehicle Collision on Sweetwater Road [National City, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Tragic Vehicle Collision Claims Life of 49-Year-Old DriverNATIONAL CITY, CA (September 22, 2023) – A heart-wrenching collision in a park-and-ride lot resulted in the untimely passing of Gregorio Arreaga on a Sunday afternoon.The incident unfolded on September 17th, just prior to 5:00 p.m., within the confines of the 2300 block of Sweetwater Road.According to eyewitness accounts, Gregorio Arreaga, aged 49, was positioned in the bed of a pickup truck parked at a commuter parking lot when another vehicle collided with the truck. The force of the impact propelled Arreaga out of the truck bed, causing him to land beneath another parked vehicle within the lot.Swiftly responding to the scene, emergency response teams attended to Arreaga and promptly transported him to Scripps Mercy Hospital for medical care.Despite the tireless efforts of medical professionals, Arreaga’s condition deteriorated, and tragically, he succumbed to his injuries. Officials confirmed his passing on Tue...

Anthony Jurcan Dead after Floatplane Crash on Lake Sammamish [Bellevue, WA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Tragic Floatplane Crash Claims Life of Pilot on Lake SammamishBELLEVUE, WA (September 22, 2023) – A devastating floatplane crash on Lake Sammamish last Friday morning resulted in the tragic loss of pilot Anthony Jurcan.The incident unfolded on September 15th, just after 11:10 a.m., over the serene waters of Lake Sammamish.According to eyewitness accounts, Anthony Jurcan was piloting a single-engine Seawind 3000 with his son on board when the aircraft experienced engine failure. Onlookers described how the plane fluctuated in altitude before ultimately making a harrowing descent into the lake.Following the crash, a courageous Good Samaritan leaped into action, diving into the water to rescue the distressed occupants of the ill-fated plane. He managed to bring them safely to the shore, where another bystander administered life-saving CPR to Jurcan’s son, successfully reviving him.Emergency response teams quickly arrived at the scene, transporting the young survivor to a lo...

One Killed in Two-Vehicle Collision on 405 Freeway [Los Angeles, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Two-Vehicle Collision on 405 Freeway near North Mulholland Drive in Los AngelesLOS ANGELES, CA (September 22, 2023) – Tragedy struck early Thursday morning when a collision between two vehicles on the 405 Freeway resulted in the loss of a life.Law enforcement swiftly responded to the incident, which occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. on the southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway near North Mulholland Drive in the Sepulveda Pass.Upon arrival at the scene, authorities discovered that a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle had collided with a large big rig truck. Both vehicles suffered extensive damage and came to a rest at the side of the freeway.Regrettably, one of the individuals involved sustained fatal injuries and tragically succumbed to those injuries at the crash site.The identity of the deceased will be disclosed to the public once their next of kin has been notified by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.In response to the incident, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) impleme...

Pedestrian Hurt in Multi-Vehicle Collision on Wilshire Boulevard [Santa Monica, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

Injury Reported Following Multi-Vehicle Collision on Wilshire Boulevard near 14th StreetSANTA MONICA, CA (September 22, 2023) – Wednesday afternoon saw a multi-vehicle collision on Wilshire Boulevard resulting in at least one person sustaining injuries.Authorities swiftly responded to the incident, which occurred around 4:30 p.m. near the junction of Wilshire Boulevard and 14th Street.Preliminary investigations indicate that one vehicle disregarded a red traffic signal at the intersection, leading to a collision with a second vehicle. The impact caused the second vehicle to lose control, ultimately striking a nearby pedestrian.Emergency medical personnel promptly attended to the injured pedestrian, believed to be an elderly adult, and promptly transported them to a local hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries remains undisclosed at this time.In response to the accident, the Santa Monica Police Department temporarily closed the westbound lanes of Wilshire Boulevar...

Suspect arrested in brutal 1987 rape, murder of 6-year-old Vallejo boy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

VALLEJO — More than 36 years after 6-year-old Jeremy Stoner was sexually assaulted strangled after disappearing from a relative’s Vallejo home, an Oregon resident has been arrested and charged with murder.Fred Mario Cain III, 69, was charged Sept. 18 with one count of murdering Jeremy on Feb. 21, 1987. Authorities say Cain is a former resident of Martinez with prior arrests on suspicion of rape, who was identified through a DNA match, prosecutors announced Friday.Cain was arrested in Oregon and has been transferred to Solano County jail to face charges. The case was solved not through a cold DNA hit, but investigative work that led to Cain being identified as a person of interest and cleared the way for authorities to obtain a sample of his DNA, authorities said.Check back for updates

Medical panel determines torture made 9/11 defendant psychotic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

By Ellen Knickmeyer | Associated PressWASHINGTON — A military judge at Guantanamo Bay has ruled one of the 9/11 defendants unfit for trial after a military medical panel found that the man’s sustained abuse in CIA custody years earlier has rendered him lastingly psychotic.The judge, Col. Matthew McCall, said the incompetency finding for Ramzi bin al-Shibh meant the prosecution of his four co-defendants would continue without him. Al-Shibh remains in custody.McCall issued his ruling late Thursday. Pre-trial hearings for the remaining defendants resumed Friday in the military courtroom at the U.S. naval base on Cuba. No trial date has been set for the case, which has been slowed by logistical problems, high turnover and legal challenges.A Yemeni, al-Shibh is accused of organizing one cell of the 19 hijackers who commandeered four commercial airplanes to carry out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people outright in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The ...

Sharks’ top-six winger and pending UFA says he wants to re-sign in San Jose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

SAN JOSE — Pending unrestricted free agent Alexander Barabanov said he doesn’t want to spend time dwelling on his next contract but added he would like to remain with the San Jose Sharks past this season and gain some long-term security in the process.Barabanov is entering the second year of the two-year, $5 million contract he signed with the Sharks after the 2021-2022 season and has been on short-term deals since he came to North America in 2000 as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.“I try to not think too much about this. Just try to work hard and do my job. That’s it,” Barabanov said Friday. “Because if you think too much, it doesn’t help you.“Of course, I want to stay here. My two babies were born here and I like the group here. That’s it. But it’s a business, so we’ll what happens.”General manager Mike Grier said Thursday he’s open to re-signing some of his pending UFAs such as Barabanov, 29, and An...

Surgeons transplant a pig heart into a dying man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:51 GMT

By Lauran Neergaard | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Surgeons have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life – only the second patient to ever undergo such an experimental feat. Two days later, the man was cracking jokes and able to sit in a chair, Maryland doctors said Friday.The 58-year-old Navy veteran was facing near-certain death from heart failure but other health problems meant he wasn’t eligible for a traditional heart transplant, according to doctors at University of Maryland Medicine.“Nobody knows from this point forward. At least now I have hope and I have a chance,” Lawrence Faucette, from Frederick, Maryland, said in a video recorded by the hospital before Wednesday’s operation. “I will fight tooth and nail for every breath I can take.”While the next few weeks will be critical, doctors were thrilled at Faucette’s early response to the pig organ.“You know, I just keep shaking my head – how...